Texas A&M’s Damion Ratley goes from couch to NFL

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 25: Damion Ratley #4 of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts with Christian Kirk #3 of the Texas A&M Aggies after scoring a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU won the game 45 - 21. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) less

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 25: Damion Ratley #4 of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts with Christian Kirk #3 of the Texas A&M Aggies after scoring a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the second half of a game ... more

Photo: Sean Gardner, Stringer / Getty Images

Image 2 of 4

COLLEGE STATION, TX - OCTOBER 07: Damion Ratley #4 of the Texas A&M Aggies makes a pass as he beats Ronnie Clark #5 of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Levi Wallace #39 in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field on October 7, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) less

COLLEGE STATION, TX - OCTOBER 07: Damion Ratley #4 of the Texas A&M Aggies makes a pass as he beats Ronnie Clark #5 of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Levi Wallace #39 in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field on ... more

Photo: Bob Levey, Stringer / Getty Images

Image 3 of 4

Texas A&M wide receiver Damion Ratley (4) races to the end zone for a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft) less

Texas A&M wide receiver Damion Ratley (4) races to the end zone for a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in College ... more

Photo: Sam Craft, FRE / Associated Press

Image 4 of 4

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Damion Ratley (4) misses getting a hand on a pass as Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Lloyd Carrington (8) covers him during the first half of a college football game during the Advocare Texas Kickoff game at NRG Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Damion Ratley (4) misses getting a hand on a pass as Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Lloyd Carrington (8) covers him during the first half of a college football game ... more

Photo: Karen Warren, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Texas A&M’s Damion Ratley goes from couch to NFL

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

COLLEGE STATION — Nearly five years ago Blinn College student Damion Ratley couldn’t come up with a ticket to the Alabama-Texas A&M game at Kyle Field, so he watched from his couch.

The thrilling game prompted the former Yoakum High star receiver to give football another shot, and on Saturday he made it to the NFL thanks to that impromptu climb from the cushions.

Express Newsletters

Get the latest news, sports and food features sent directly to your inbox.

Ratley joined safety Armani Watts (fourth round to the Kansas City Chiefs) on Saturday as Aggies selected in the draft. Receiver Christian Kirk (second round to his hometown Arizona Cardinals) and Watts were expected to be drafted; Ratley was considered borderline.

Ratley, long and lean at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, clocked 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash last month before representatives from all 32 NFL teams at A&M. He had 30 catches for 694 yards as a senior for the 7-6 Aggies last season, averaging 23 yards per catch.

He was enrolled at the Bryan campus of Blinn at the time of his football epiphany in 2013, and he shifted to the Brenham campus and played football for the Buccaneers. He earned a scholarship to A&M from there.

Around the same time Watts was in the early stages of a solid career for the Aggies as a four-year starter. Watts made game-saving interceptions against Arkansas and Tennessee along the way, and multiple clutch plays late in SEC contests.

“That really comes with preparation before the game, and a lot of film study and good practice habits,” Watts said of always being ready for an opponent’s offensive plan. “Just knowing where to be at the right time and making the play when it comes.”

Watts wrapped up his A&M career with 324 tackles and 10 interceptions. He turned in his best season as a sophomore in 2015, when he led the Aggies with 126 tackles, 45 more than anyone else on the team. He’ll now learn at the cleat of Chiefs veteran Eric Berry.

“He’s one of the best safeties in the game, and it’s going to be real humbling to learn from his experience,” Watts said.

The Aggies didn’t have a player taken in the first round for the first time since 2010, snapping a school record of seven straight years with at least one (and nine total). A year ago A&M had five players drafted, including the school’s first No. 1 overall pick in defensive end Myles Garrett, and the year before three players also were drafted.

The Arizonan Kirk didn’t extend the Aggies’ first-round streak, but perhaps wound up with something better — playing for the team he grew up watching in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“It’s crazy how everything goes full circle,” said Kirk, one of the Cardinals’ high school players of the week in 2014.